Cold urticaria

Cold urticaria is a rare skin condition that is caused by skin’s exposure to cold temperature, cold water or even cold objects including eating or drinking cold food items. It mostly happens when the temperature is lower than 3-degree Celsius. If a person is suffering from cold urticaria, he/she is likely to develop small red welts (hives) on the exposed skin. These welts or hives appear within 2-5 minutes of exposure to the cold. People suffering from cold urticaria often develop a host of different symptoms including temporary reddish welts on the area where the skin was exposed to the cold stimuli, swelling of hands and lips while holding or consuming cold objects to worsening of reaction as skin slowly begins to warm. These hives usually last for 1-2 hours after the exposure to cold. The diagnosis of cold urticaria is done by placing a cold object (or an ice cube) on the skin for about five minutes. Symptoms are usually noticeable after the skin is exposed to the stimulus. While the exact cause of cold urticaria is not known, medical experts suspect that in some cases it can be caused by an underlying condition like infection, blood condition or cancer. This skin condition usually impacts young and middle-aged adults and while some people experience minor reactions, it may lead to severe reactions in others. In very severe cases, exposure to cold could lead to loss of consciousness, shock or even death. It can even cause swelling of tongue and throat, which makes it difficult to breathe. If the medical care provider feels that you may have an underlying condition that is causing severe reactions due to cold urticaria, you may need to get a couple of tests done to understand the cause. There is no specific course of treatment for cold urticaria and the line of treatment is usually to avoid further exposure to cold. This skin condition usually subsides on its own after a couple of weeks or months, but over-the-counter antihistamines and prescription medicines might be given to reduce the severity of the symptoms.